Device for laying siding



D. W. GONNELL. DEVICE FOR LAYINGSIDING.

(No Model.)

No. 429,604. Patented June 10, 1890.

S m, E N n W UNITED STATES PAT NT OFFICE.

DAVID IV. GONNELL, OF FLINT, MICHIGAN.

DEVICE FOR LAYING SIDING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 429,604, dated June 10, 1890.

Application filed November 25, 1889. Serial No. 331,576. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, DAVID W. CONNELL, a British subject, residing at Flint, in the county of Genesee and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices for Laying Siding; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to a device for facilitating the laying of siding on frame buildings; and it consists in a certain constructed device, hereinafter more fully set forth, by the use of whicha workman is enabled tolay the siding true and much more rapid than-the common way of doing such work.

The objects of the invention are to provide means for gaging the lapping of the siding, so that the exposed faces thereof will be uniform, to hold the strip of sidingin place while it is being nailed to the studding, and to provide an adjustable gage to scribe by, so that the end of the siding may be cut square to meet the edge of the corner-strip, or Initered to the angle of the facia, as in siding the gable end of a building. These results are attained by the deviceillustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is an isometrical view of a portion of a frame structure, showing my improved device as in use in laying the siding thereon. Fig. 2 is an enlarged isometrical view of the improved device. Fig. 3 is a vertical section as taken on dotted lines a; :c of Fig. 1.

Referring to the letters of reference in the drawings, A represents a flat metal bar or plate that is provided in its lower portion with the open slot a. The threaded end of the bolt t passes loosely through said slot and receives the thumb-nut b,'the nut or shoulder 0 of said bolt resting against the inner or back face of the plate A, as shown in Fig. 2, whereby by loosening the thumb-nut b the boltt may be adjusted in the slot, and by tightening said thumb-nut the shoulder c is drawn against the back face of the plate A,

thus firmly securing the bolt t at any desired point in the slot, for purposes hereinafter de- 7 scribed. The spur f passes through the plate A near its longitudinal center and is rigidly secured therein, the outer end of said spur having the head e and washer e, the upper end of the baror plate Abeing bent slightly outward, as shown at ct, in Figs. 1, 2, and 3.

13 represents a metal bar that forms a gage to scribe by, said gage having the bent ends forming the feet 4; o. Said bent ends elevate the central portion of the gage, so that when the feet 0) '0 are placed against a surface on each side of a strip of siding to be scribed the central portion of the gage will extend across the siding, and free from contact therewith, the bearings being on the feet 4; e at the ends of the gage, which enables the gage being securely held while scribing.

0 represents a link-coupling that slidingly connects the gage B to the plate A. The loop end of said link passes freely around the outer end of the spur f, between the washer e and the outer face of said plate, and is adapted to slide thereon. The outer end of the link is pivotally coupled to the gage B, as shown at 2' in Fig. 2. I

D D represent the siding, and H the studding, of a building.

The operation of the device is as follows: To obtain the desired width of exposed surface of the siding when lapped, the bolt 25 is adjusted in the slot a, so that the distance between the fixed spur f and said bolt 25 will be equal to such desired width. The first or bottom strip of siding being laid, the inner end of the bolt 15 is held against the under edge of said strip and the spur f driven through the siding into the studding H, which secures the 'device in place. The succeeding strip of siding is then placed between the upper end always be uniform. The strip of siding being nailed in place, the spur f is withdrawn and the operation, as above described, continued. The acuminated spur f renders it easily driven into or withdrawn from the studding and does not tend to split the siding, and the plate A, extending above the spur f, holds the strip of siding in place while being nailed, preventing from being blown oif by the wind. The outwardly-bent upper end a of the plate A increases the space at the top between the said plate and the studding, so that the strip of siding maybe easily placed therein.

The gage B is used to scribe by, as in squaring the end of the siding to meet the edge of the corner-piece. In Fig. 1 the gageB is shown in such use, the scribe-line being indicated at 2. After using the gage for scribing it swings down out of the way, as shown by dotted lines in same figure. The board is then sawed off and nailed in place. This gage is of great advantage in siding the gable end of buildings, as it may be turned so as to scribe to the angle of the facia, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2. For supporting the center of a long strip of siding the device is used without the gage B, as shown at A in Fig. 1.

Having thus fully set forth my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

In a device for laying siding, the combination of the plate A, having a slot at the lower end, the bolt adapted to rise and fall in said slot, the thu1nb-nut on said bolt, the spur passing through said plate and having a head on one end thereof, the gage B, and the link pivotally coupled thereto, the loop of said link being slidingly attached to the spur f, as and for the purposes specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

DAVID IV. CONNELL.

\Vitnesses:

ED S. LEE, GEO. O. CRANE. 

